Fire district officials rebut claims made to commissioners

The Bourbon County Commissioners heard the other side of the story regarding the history of the fire district boundary between Scott Township District 3 and Garland District 2 fire departments.

Connie May and Kevin Howard of the Garland Fire District board, attended Monday's commission meeting armed with documents she said prove the history of when the boundary lines were established.

She said she is responding to statements made by Don Banwart, Scott Township clerk, when he attended a county commission meeting May 7. At that time, Banwart asked commissioners to relocate the fire district boundary along U.S. 69 south of Fort Scott so dispatchers can more easily determine which department to page. Garland's district is along the east side of U.S. 69 and Scott Township's is on the west side.

Prior to making his request, Banwart gave a lengthy presentation on the history of how the boundary line was formed. He said the larger Scott Township Fire District was divided to make it easier to obtain federal grants. A petition was presented to the county commissioners, who approved the split.

On Monday, May said the fire districts were formed March 18, 1968. Garland, Redfield, Mapleton and Uniontown were stand alone departments, apart from Scott township 3.

"The boundary lines given to the fire district are the same exact boundary lines as they are today," May said. "The district was formed between Scott Township and Drywood Township."

May said the county commissioners did not create the boundary.

Garland Fire District consists of portions of Drywood and Scott townships, with three representatives from each township. Members of the fire district board must reside within the fire district. Because a portion of Drywood Township is not within the fire district, some residents may serve on a township board, but not the fire district board, May said.

May became a member of the fire district board in May 2013, after a dispute between the fire district board and township trustees. Dennis Krom was relieved of his duties as fire chief and his wife, Laura Krom, was relieved of her duties as the department's treasurer. The locks were changed on the fire department building.

"We're making sure we follow state statutes," May said.

"When (Garland Fire District) was formed, the districts and all were formed by the two township boards," May said. "They formed it correctly."

She had copies of public notices published in the newspaper.

The district begins at the southeast corner of Bourbon County, then goes west along the Bourbon-Crawford county line to the east side of U.S. 69, north along the east side of U.S. 69 to Hackberry Road, then east along Hackberry Road to the state line and south to Arrowhead Road.

May said she has heard that the boundary for District 2 had been changed.

"The only thing that I could find, and I've gone back and talked to at least four commissioners prior, Fire District 2's boundary lines have never been moved," May said.

She said fire district boundaries changed when FD No. 1 dissolved in 2004 or 2005. The only mention of the Garland district in the document was a mention of allocated funds that were misplaced.

"It never took part of our district," May said. "It was just some of the funds got mingled somewhere when they dissolved the one and made the new District 5."

That issue was resolved after the county commissioners got involved.

"There's a lot of stuff that goes on and hearsay, and a lot goes around," May said. "But the fire department is doing nothing but trying to work within our statutes."

During the May 7 meeting, Banwart stated that FD No. 2 has not been forthcoming in providing budget information when it's been requested. May said the fire department's budget is prepared under state statutes by the governing body, which is the fire district board. The district does not have a mill levy of more than 3, because that's the maximum it can levy.

She said in July 2013, the department had to go to court and received a court order regarding department funds that were "tied up with some individual people."

"We have researched and done everything as properly as possible for the fire district and the fire district board and the community," May said. "I can tell you there was some things that are said and there are things that we don't even know about our grants, about how our grants were funded and things like that."

She said she has been applying for grants to ease the burden of the district and its taxpayers.

She said a statement has been made that the volunteer fire fighters are not trained.

"We do nothing but work on training to get up to par on everything," May said.

The 11 active volunteers have put in a combined 260 hours of training since June 2013, she said.

She also said the department has made improvements in the district, such as installing a new hydrant and more recently, improving radio communication in the area by installing a repeater station. The district also has applied for a federal grant to purchase equipment.

"We have to ask, if you guys are even thinking about moving boundary lines, what we would like to know, if anything is coming up, to include us in it," May said.

She said the board is "trying to keep the department healthy."

"No hidden agendas, we're just trying to do what's right, but we're all volunteers. We're not paid," May said.

In response to Second District Commissioner Barbara Albright's question regarding which areas each district responds to, May explained the aid agreements.

May said Garland responds to everything in Fire District 2, but will respond to another district when called through a mutual aid agreement. The district also works under an automatic aid, which means Garland will automatically respond to specific calls with other districts. Scott Township automatically responds to calls in the FD No. 2 district, except for in the southeast portion.

"It wouldn't matter if the boundaries were there or not, they would still respond," May said. "We respond at the same time to a structure fire, confirmed fire, we go into Scott Township."

She said everything west of U.S. 69 falls under the automatic aid agreement between Garland and District No. 3.

She said the system is working well.

"You've got to get the tones," May said.

At this time, Garland and Scott Township fire districts operate on different tone channels, which means dispatch has to tone out on both channels. May said if they haven't responded, it's because the volunteers didn't get the tone.

"Volunteer departments are exactly what they are: volunteer departments," May said. "Everybody has jobs, and everybody works, and not everybody is there. We don't have someone that sits in our station 24 hours a day."

Garland and District No. 3 operate on the same channel, she said.

Commission Chairman Allen Warren said there has been discussion with only one person regarding the boundary and Garland Fire District.

"That's what we thought," May said. "Before you consider anything, I would have to say, what's the agenda behind it? Why would you want to move boundary lines? We're all responding. I would have to think there is something more behind this."

Albright asked Howard, the district board clerk, if he sees an issue.

"Yeah," he said. "I think it's a lot of personals. There's a personal agenda behind some of it. I know in the beginning before we did a lot of research, there was talk of trading this side for this side so we could be in charge of something, or not be."

May said the fire district meetings are open, and some people attend, but others do not.

"Our doors are open," May said.

"The negativity has been overwhelming at times," Howard said. "I hope we're getting past all that and (taxpayers) can see what we're doing and move forward."

"It's taken us a while to get on the ground," May said. "I know there were some issues before us, but that was before us."

Warren said he's heard more than once that FD No. 2 is "maybe not open where you're spending taxpayer money, as far as your actual expenses, what you're paying out."

May repeated that the meetings are open.

"If somebody was to ask you where have you spent the taxpayer money so far this year, can you produce that?" Warren asked.

May began to explain what the department has been doing, but Warren said he is asking about allowing people to see documentation of where the money is being spent.

"Is that available?" Warren asked.

"Sure it is, if they go through the proper channels," May said.

She said the district board abides by the open records laws, but it takes time to do things because they are all volunteers. She also said it is hard for people to accept changes.

"Just be transparent," Warren said.